Jesse Jackson, Jr.'s Doctors: Congressman Has Bipolar Disorder

Jesse Jackson, Jr. is letting his doctors do the talking and on Monday they gave their diagnosis: The Illinois congressman, who's been on a medical leave of absence since June 10, is undergoing treatment for bipolar II depression. “Congressman Jackson is responding well to the treatment and regaining his strength,” read a statement from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The statement from the facility likely takes the load off Jackson's family members who've had to separate fact from fiction in the last month and a half as his absence, which was originally attributed to exhaustion, triggered a wave of speculation from the press.

Last week, Jackson's wife, Ald Sandi Jackson, confirmed that he was being treated at the Mayo Clinic but the facility had not yet arrived at the bipolar diagnosis. “They are now trying to find out if his depression, which has not yet been diagnosed as a bipolar disorder, is connected to the weight-loss surgery. We don’t know." The clinic said today that it had arrived at the diagnosis after extensive evaluation and noted how common the condition is. “Many Americans have bipolar disorder. Bipolar II disorder is a treatable condition that affects parts of the brain controlling emotion, thought and drive and is most likely caused by a complex set of genetic and environmental factors," the statement added. "Congressman Jackson underwent gastric-bypass surgery in 2004. This type of surgery is increasingly common in the U.S. and can change how the body absorbs food, liquids, vitamins, nutrients and medications."